Parachute harness



Dec. 13, 1955 E. A. GIMALOUSKI EI'AL 2,726,832

PARACHUTE HARNESS Filed May 8, 1953 2 Sheets-Sheet l VENTORS 88 EDWARD A. G/M/VZ 005/11 \R v 80 BY cave/10 5. KOWALS/f/ Arrow/5y Dec. 13, 1955 E. A. GIMALOUSK] ETAL 2,726,832

PARACHUTE HARNESS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed May 8, 1953 7 till T fllil 1 I ll 2 iWETTE z a Z 0 8 m Adm awZ w a a 5 IN V EN TORS EDWARD A. G/M/4L OUSK/ 1 2,726,832 PARACHUTE HARNESS Edward A. Gimalouski, Manchester, and Conrad S. Ko-

walski, South Coventry, Conn., assignors to Pioneer Parachute Company, Inc., Manchester, Conn., a corporation of Connecticut Application May 8, 1953, Serial No. 353,844 17 Claims. (Cl. 244-151) This invention relates to parachute harnesses and is directed particularly to constructions that will permit the wearer to free himself quickly from the harness after a descent.

Various types of quick release harnesses have been developed heretofore as exemplified by the construction shown in the patent to Kowalski No. 2,430,773 wherein the quick release device is positioned on the wearers chest and has shoulder and leg straps connected thereto. However, quick release harnesses of this type are not adapted for use with an emergency parachute pack located on the wearers chest since such a pack will cover the release device. Furthermore, the leg straps in such harnesses are threaded through loops or other portions of the harnesses with the result that the harness cannot fall away freely from the wearer until the leg straps have disengaged the loops through which they pass.

An improved type of quick release harness is shown in the patent to Smith No. 2,402,264 in which the harness is provided with a removable chest piece that may or may not carry an emergency pack. When the chest piece is released it may fall away from the wearer whereupon the side risers which extend from the seat sling of the harness to the shoulders can be slipped off the wearers shoulders ery easily. However, when parachutes are used by paratroopers, medical corpsmen, forest fire fighters and others, the user is frequently loaded down with equipment which makes it diflicult if not impossible for the wearer even to slip the harness straps off the shoulders. This is particularly true in the case of paratroopers who are provided with water wings or floats which are inflated before the user lands in water so that they project outward in a manner to preclude removal of the parachute harness by slipping it off the shoulders.

In these and other parachute harnesses used heretofore the seat sling and side risers to which the load is applied during shock loading of the parachute and during descent have generally included continuous, unbroken webbing members extending from the point of attachment of the parachute on one side of the harness, downward beneath the seat and upward on the other side of the wearer to the point of attachment of the parachute on the other side of the harness.

in accordance with the present invention, a parachute harness is provided in which the side risers and seat sling of the harness are not continuous but, instead, are provided with removable sections located on each side and in front of the wearer. The harness elements and side riser sections are provided with releasable connecting means whereby the lower ends of the removable riser sections may be connected to the seat sling and leg straps near the users waist whereas the upper ends of said sections may be connected to shoulder portions of the side risers near the shoulder or elsewhere. Further means are provided which are operable simultaneously or individually to release the connecting means so that the side risers will each be broken at two points and the harness may be said to fall apart and drop away from the user without any delay or further manipulations on his part. in this way, the wearer may release himself from the harness instantly upon landing and without danger of the harness or parachute becoming entangled with the equipment carried by the wearer. Moreover, an emernited States Patent the invention thereto.

2 gency parachute pack may be secured to the removable sections of the side risers so that the emergency pack and its parachute also will fall away from the wearer on release of the removable sections from other elements of the harness.

Any suitable type of actuating means may be employed for releasing the inserts from the shoulder portions of the side risers and from the seat sling and leg straps, but as hereinafter described, the actuating means preferably is designed so that it will require two different and successive movements in order to release the inserts whereby the danger of accidental manipulation of the actuating means is reduced to a minimum.

One of the objects of the present invention is to provide a new type of parachute harness capable of release from a wearer who may be burdened with bulky equipment.

Another object of the invention is to provide a parachute harness with side risers including removable riser sections located between the seat sling and the shoulder portions of the side risers whereby these sections of the risers may be completely disconnected from the harness for releasing the harness from the wearer.

A further object of the invention is to provide a parachute harness including sections of the side risers located between the seat sling and the shoulder portions of the risers and carrying an emergency parachute pack, said sections being completely detachable from the seat sling, leg straps and shoulder portions of the risers for instant release of a wearer from the harness and emergency pack.

Another object of the invention is to provide a parachute harness with a seat sling, leg straps and side risers including portions of the side risers which are completely detachable from the seat sling and leg straps without sliding or threaded disengagement with respect to other elements of the harness.

A specific object of the present invention is to provide a parachute harness having a seat sling, leg straps and side risers which extend over the wearers shoulders, there being a removable section included in each side riser and located between the seat sling and leg straps on the one hand, and the shoulder portions of the side risers on the other, together with a single actuating device operable to disconnect said sections of the harness at four points so as to release the seat sling and leg straps and the shoulder portions of the side risers simultaneously upon operation of the actuating means.

These and other objects and features of the present invention will appear from the following description thereof in which reference is made to the figures of the accompanying drawings for the purpose of indicating the nature of the present invention, but without intending to limit In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a perspective illustrating a typical form of parachute harness embodying the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a view showing the chest piece and terminal portions of the straps in the harness of Fig. 1 arranged in disengaged relation;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view through one of the fittings embodied in the harness of Fig. l;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged front elevation of a fitting and actuating device embodied in the harness of Fig. l; and

Fig. 5 is a side elevation of that portion of the harness illustrated in Fig. 4.

In that form of the invention illustrated in Fig. l the harness comprises a seat sling 2 which extends upward at opposite sides of the wearers seat to points near the waist for connection by the fittings 4 and 6 to the lower ends of removable side riser sections 8 and 10 respectively. The upper ends of the side riser sections 8 and 10 are connected by the fittings 12 and 14 to the shoulder portions 3 16 and 1-8 of' the side risers. connected to the seat sling 2: for passage forward and upward between the wearers l'egsfor connection to the fit: tings 4' and 6 at the lower ends of the side riser sections Sand 1%. V i

The remaining portions of the harness may be constructed as desired and as shown the back straps 24 extend downward from the shoulders crossing at the back' and passing through side loops 26'at'the-upper ends of the seat slingand being connected by the rear waist strap 28 at the small of the wearers back.

Leg straps 20- and 22 are extending from an actuating device as to each ofthefittings 4, 6; 12' and 14. The actuating device is designed I to-actuate all of the fittings-4, 6, 12 and 14 simultaneously for releasing the side riser sections from the seat sling, leg straps, and shoulder portions ofthe harness in one operation;

The actuating device 38' and the fittings 4, 6, 12 and 14 maybe of any preferredaconstruction or type bug-in general, the fittings are designed to permit the insertion of a metal connector 4i on the strapto be released and to engage the connector with a snap action to hold it in engaged relation until released by operation of the actuating-means 38. The actuating means may-be located in any convenient location on the assembly consisting of the re movableside riser sections 8 and 10 and chest piece 36. The actuating means is preferably located adjacent the wearers right shoulder and constructed to require two distinct and diiferent movements for operation so that it cannot be operated accidentally by catching on any obstruction and: evenif the wearer should become confused hev will not operate the actuating device prematurely when intending topull the rip cord handle torelease the parachute. V

In the construction shown in detail in Figs. 4 and the actuating device 38 embodies a housing 42 enclosing a drum member 4.4 rotatably mounted on a fixed stud 46 andhaving an arm 48 connected: thereto. The arm 43 is,slottedat 50 to. receive a headed pin 52 on the innerend of an operating handle 54. The housing 42'-is formed with a slot 56 along which the handle and pin 52 may.

slide from the lowered full line position of Fig. 4-in which.

.arm 48 is heldby a spring retainer 53, to the upper dotted line position in which. the arm-'48 is pulled fromthe spring retainer and rotated through a limited arc, say

. or so, for prepan'ng the actuating device forsubsequent operation to release of the harness frorrr the wearer; The slot 56 is-providedwith a branch 69 located somewhat below the upper end of slot 56 and extending laterally so; that after-handle 54has been moved upward to the, upper end of slot-56 it may be pulled sideways to rotate arm 48 and drum 44 through a further angle in a final releasing movement. The branch slot 60 may terminate 'at the edge of housing 42' in which case the arm 48'will be rotated through a further angle ofva'oout orso'to the dotted line position B or the side of the housing maybe slotted to permit the handle 54 and arm 48 to be swung outward from the housing through anangle of 90 or more as indicated by the dottedline position C in Fig.4.

As a safety measure and in order to require movement of the handle 54 in two diiferent directions and. in two successive steps for preventing accidental and continuous movement in releasing; the harness, a. latch member 62 is pivotally mounted in the housing adjacent branch slot 60 and is movable to close ofi'thebranch slot during upward movement of the handle along slot 56. The handle therefore must be moved tothe upper extremity of slot 56 and to a point where it is held against lateral movement in order to clear latch 62 and open branch slot 60. Thereafter, spring 64 returns latch 62 to the full line position of'Fig. 4 in.-which it closes the lower 44 through large enollgllfangle to, operate the fittings at 4, 6, 12 and 14 for releasing; the harness.

The initial rotation, of the arm 48- and drum 44 which takes place during upward movement of the handle along slot 56 may be varied or eliminated altogether by suitable positioning of the slot 56- with respect to the arm148 and the stud about which, the: arm rotates. rotation is generally desirable, inorder to release the arm 48 from the, spring, retainenSS and to. take up slack in the cables 66, 68, 70, and 72 which extend from the drum 44 of the actuating device. to'latch; members 74 of the fittings-4, 6, 12 and 14. .The cables used for this purpose preferably extend; through housings 76. and the cables and-housings'are flexible whereas. thefittings are mounted on flexible elements of, the harness. It is therefore preferable to arrange the cables sov that they will be loose enough to allow for relativemovernent of the parts as the wearer bends'over or, moves about without danger of tensioning the. cables and accidentallyactuating the latch means ofthevarious fittings. p e

The fittings 4, 6,12 and 1.4v may all be, identical and as shown in Figs. 4 and; 5,. each, fitting embodies a boxlike. housing 78 having a: slot 80. therein for receiving an apertured. stud 82.. The latch member 74 has a bevelled end 84 that is. urged intoprojected and latching position by a spring. 86. so that. the latch member will normally extend. acrossv the,v slot 8.0,inthe stud 82 but is yieldable to. permit insertion of the, stud in securing the harness, in place onawearer; When the stud 82 has been insertedto theprnper retaining position, aperture 38 in the stud registers, with the latch member, whereupon the latch, member will be projected to.its latching position to retaintheconnector, 40. andholdit securely in place.

In orderto release the connector in freeing the wearer from the harness, a. bell, crankmember 9.0 is pivotally mountedat 92 in the housing78, andisrprovided with one arm 94 to which one ofthe. cables, such as cable 66, is connected, whereas the army 960i the bell crank extends into aslfot98lin thelatch'member 74. The latch member may thus be'retracted'from engagement with the stud 82 by a pull" on. the cable connected to. the. bell crank and in response to, operation of'theactuating' means 38. The studs 82' associated with the, lower fittings4. and 6 are carried by the connectors, 40. on theopposite. ends of the seat sling of the harness and are adapted to project through openings 100 inthe connectors 49 on the leg straps20" and 22. Thestud's 82 associated with .the fittings Hand 14' at the upper. ends. of the side riser portions 8 and 10; are mounted on plates 104 carried by straps 102secured'to-the chest piece 36 adjacent the littings as shown in Fig. 5. Theconnectors 40 carried by the shoulder portions of the side risersare eachprovided over the studfi 82., after which the stud may be pushed.

into the slot;in the fitting to holdthe connector in place.

In usingthe harness described the. wearer passes, the shoulder portions 16fand 18ofthe harness over the shoulderzand slips the connectors 40' atv the forward ends thereof over the, studs 82 on plates 104 carried by the strapslQZadjacent the, fittings I2 and 14 on the upper ends of the side riser sections 8' and 10'. The studs 82 are then pushed into' the sl'ots 80 inthe fittings 12.. and 14 whereby' the latch members 74' thereof are pushed backagainsctheaction ofsprings 86. When apertures 88 in the studs are aligned with the latch members the Some limited latter snap into latching position to secure the shoulder portions to the upper ends of the side riser sections. Thereafter apertured connectors 40 on the ends of leg straps 20 and 22 are slipped over the studs 82 of connectors 40' secured to the opposite upper ends of the seat sling 2. The latter studs are then inserted into the slots 80 in the fittings 4 and 6 at the lower ends of the side riser sections 8 and 10 whereupon the latch members snap into place to hold both the leg straps and the seat sling assembled as shown in Fig. 3.

The harness is thereby connected into place on the wearer and may be adjusted to fit comfortably and properly by means of quick fit buckles which preferably are of the type shown and described in Miller et al. Patents Nos. 2,542,044 and 2,475,631. The actuating device 38 is located adjacent the right shoulder or in any other convenient and predetermined position for use in releasing the harness from the wearer. A back or seat pack carrying the main parachute is connected to the lift webs 30 and 32 and may be attached to the back straps or seat sling of the harness in any suitable or conventional way. The rip cord for releasing the parachute will ordinarily be located near the left shoulder or elsewhere as in conventional harness constructions and is preferably remote from the actuating device 38 so that it will not be confused therewith. The chest piece 36 of the harness extends across the wearers chest from one removable side riser section to the other and an emergency parachute pack may be secured directly to the chest piece or to suitable connector rings carried by the removable side riser portions themselves, as shown in Fig. 2. When an emergency pack is not used the chest piece may, if desired, be provided with suitable pockets or rings for carrying equipment which the wearer may need.

As the person wearing the harness described is descending, and upon approaching the ground, the handle 54 of the actuating device 38 is grasped and moved upward along the slot 56 in the housing and past the latch 62 to the upper end of slot 56. The actuating device is thereby conditioned or made ready for instant releasing operation, but is still held against free movement by the sides of the upper portion of the slot. However, upon landing, the handle is free to be pulled downward and sideways along the branch slot 60 whereby the arm 48 and drum 44 are rotated through a suflicient angle to pull all of the cables 65, 63, 70 and 72 simultaneously. Each of the latch members 74 in the fittings 4, 6, 12 and 14 is then actuated whereupon the side riser sections 8 and 10 and chest piece 36 are completely disconnected from the harness. The shoulder portions 16 and 18 are released from the upper portions of the side riser sections by operation of the latch members in fittings 12 and 14 whereas the opposite ends of the seat sling 2 are released from the lower ends of the side riser sections by operation of the latch members in fittings 4 and 6. The apertured connectors 48 on the leg straps 20 and 22 simply drop off the studs 32 of the connectors 49 of the seat sling so that the whole harness will fall away from the wearer without any further manipulation on the users part. In the event the harness is worn by persons landing in water and equipped with inflatable water wings or floats, the latter may be inflated before actual landing and yet the harness will disengage from any encumbrance and the wearer may swim or float away without struggling to slip the harness over the shoulders or inflated members or to disentangle the leg straps.

While the preferred form of the invention includes a single actuating device for simultaneously releasing all of the fittings at once, it will be apparent that each fitting may be provided with an independently operable actuating device or the fittings may be connected in pairs to different actuating devices or otherwise arranged for operation separately or in groups to disconnect the sections of the side risers to release the harness from the wearer. Further, it will be evident that the chest piece 36 and side riser 8 sections 8 and 1%) may be releasable at only three points whereby the chest piece will remain attached to the harness at one point only, as to a leg strap, for example. In such a construction only three releasable fittings are required and the chest piece will not be lost and need not be replaced when the harness is recovered after use.

The construction described is thus capable of use by persons who are loaded with various equipment such as that employed by paratroopers and others and yet it is equally useful for general application with all types of life saving parachutes. The arrangement of the various straps of the harness other than the seat sling, side risers and leg straps may, of course, be varied and the types of hardware and the form of actuating means, fittings and connectors used may be constructed as desired to save in weight and cost and insure positive and consistent operation under all conditions of use.

in view thereof it should be understood that the particular form of the invention shown in the drawings and described above and the various elements thereof have been chosen for purposes of illustration only and are not intended ot limit the scope of the invention.

We claim:

1. In a parachute harness having a seat sling with side risers extending upward from the seat sling to shoulder portions of the harness, the combination of side riser sections located between the seat sling and shoulder portions and completely separable therefrom, there being separable connector elements on the upper ends of said side riser sections and on the shoulder portions of the harness and on the lower portions of said side riser sections and on the seat sling.

2. In a parachute harness having a seat sling with side risers extending upward from the seat sling to shoulder portions of the harness, the combination of side riser sections located between the seat sling and shoulder portions and compietely separable therefrom, there being separable connector elements on the upper ends of said side riser sections and on the shoulder portions of the harness and on the lower portions of said side riser sections and on the seat sling, and common actuating means for releasing said separable connector elements.

3. In a parachute harness having a seat sling with side risers extending upward from the seat sling to shoulder portions of the harness, the combination of side risers sections located between the seat sling and shoulder portions and completely separable therefrom, there being separable connector elements on the upper ends of said riser sections and on the shoulder portions of the harness and on the lower portions of said side riser sections and on the seat sling, an actuating device, and means extending from said actuating device to said separable connector elements for simultaneously releasing said connector elements on operation of said actuating device.

4. In a parachute harness having a seat sling with side risers extending upward from the seat sling to shoulder portions of the harness, the combination of side riser sections located between the seat sling and shoulder portions and completely separable therefrom, there being separable connector elements on the upper ends of said side riser sections and on the shoulder portions of the harness and on the lower portions of said side riser sections and on the seat sling, and leg straps connected to said seat sling and having means thereon for securing the leg straps in connected relation with said side riser sections through the separable connector elements on the lower ends of said sections.

5. Parachute harness comprising a seat sling provided with connector elements at opposite ends thereof, leg straps attached to said seat sling and having connector elements thereon for connection with the connector elements on the seat sling to hold the leg straps in leg embracing position, side riser sections having means thereon for releasable connection with the connector elements on the seat sling and leg straps, said harness having Shoulder. portions; and means onthe side riser'sections for.

1 releasable connection with the shoulder portions of the; harness.

6. A parachute harness comprising a seat sling provided with connector elements at opposite ends thereof, leg straps attached w said seat sling and having connector elements thereon for connection with the connector elements on the seat sling to hold the leg straps in leg embracing position, side riser sections having'means thereon for releasable connection with the connector elements on the seat sling and leg straps, said harness having shoulder portions and means on the side riser sections for re leasable connection with the shoulder portions of the harness, and common actuating means operable to release all of said releasable connections simultaneously.

7. A parachute harness comprising a seat. sling provided with. connector elements at opposite ends thereof,

leg straps'attached to said seat sling and having connector elements thereon. for connection with the connector elemerits on'the seat sling to hold the leg straps in leg 11;. A parachute; harness; having a' seat slingwith side risers-extending fromrthe seat. sling to. the shoulder portions. oi the harness; said. side risers; each having a section thereof located between-the seat sling and. the shoulder portions oi harness, a chest piece: extending be.-. tween said: sections, means releasably connecting theupper. portions ofi said side riser sections; to the shoulder portions of the harness,.and other releasable means con-,

' necting the lower end ofiatrleas't one of the side riser sec-- a handle-and means requiring movement of the handle in two different directions for effecting operation of said actuating means to release said connector elements.

8. A parachute harness comprising a seat sling, two leg straps attached to said seat sling, a chest piece including two side riser sections one of which has the lower end thereof releasably connected to one end of the seat sling and to one of said leg straps and the other of which has its lower end releasably connected to the other end of said seat sling and to the other leg strap, said hardness having shoulder portions and releasable connections on the upper ends of said side. riser sections for connection to said shoulder portions of the harness.

9. A parachute harness comprising a seat sling, two

' leg straps attached to said seat sling, a chest piece including two side riser, sections, fittings located on the upper and lower end of each side riser section and each including a spring pressed latch member, connectors on one end of the seat'sling and on the end of one leg strap releasably held in engagement by the latch member of the fitting at the lower end of one of said side riser sections, connectors on the opposite end ofthe seat sling and on the end of the other: leg strap releasably held in engagement by the latch member on the lower end of the other side riser section, said harness having shoulder portions with connectors thereon held in engagement with the fittings at the upper ends of said' side riser sections by the latch members of the latter fittings, and means for actuating said latch members to release said connectors.

10. A parachute harness comprising a seat sling, two leg straps attached to said seat sling, a chest piece including two side riser sections, fittings located on the upper and lower end of each side riser section and each including a spring pressed latch member, connectors on one end of the seat sling and on the end of one leg strap releasably held in engagement by the. latch member of the fitting at the lower end of one of said side riser sections, connectors on the opposite end of the seat sling and on the end of the. other leg strap releasably held in engagement by the latch member on the lower end of the other side riser. section, said harness having shoulder portions with connectors thereon held in engagement with the fittings. atthe. upper. endsof said side riser sections by the latch members of the latter fittings, and actuating means mounted on said chest piece and connected. to. each: of saidlatch members for. operation to release all of said connectors'simultaneously.

tions tothe seat slingcftheharness.

l2. A parachute harness having: a 'seat. sling and shoulder portions, removableside riser-portions extending from saidz-seat slingtjo saittshonlder'portions a chest piece extending between, saith side riser portions, and meansreleasably connectingsaid; side. riser portions to.- said seat; sling and said. shoulder. portions at atleast. three points whereby saidchest piece and side riser; portionsmay he. released. to free the: wearer from. the; harness without unthreading'or relative: slippage: of the harness elements;.

13'. A. parachute harness having a. seat sling and. shoulder portions, removable side: riser portions extend ing from saidsea'c slingto said shoulder portions, 21 chest. piece. extending between said side riser portions, and means. releasably connecting said. side riser portions to saidseat sling and; said shoulder portions at at leastthree points whereby. said, chest piece. and side riser portions: may be released to free: the wearer from the harness without unthreading: or relativeslippage of the harness elements, and means for. simultaneously actuating said releasing means. 7

14. A parachute harness; comprising shoulder straps, leg straps, a removable intermediate harnessportion; connector means releasably connecting said shoulder straps to said intermediate portion, additional connector means releasably connecting said leg straps to saidintermediate portion, and releasing means for simultaneously releasing each of said connectormeans to permit said intermediatexportion to fall away from the remainder of the harness to completely free the wearer from the harness. a

15. A. parachute harness having a seat sling and shoulder portions, side riser portions constituting the sole load supporting connection extending between said seat sling and shoulder portions in position to be located in front of the wearer'when the harness is in place on a V wearer, parachute attaching means carried by said side riser portions, and releasable means for connecting said side riser portions to the seat sling and shoulder portions of. the harness and operable to disconnect the side riser portions and parachute attaching means from the harness for removing the harness from a wearer.

16. A parachute harness having a seat sling and shoulder portions, a chest piece having means connected thereto extending. from thes'eat sling to the shoulder portions of the. harness inv load supporting relation therewith, releasable connectors securing said chest piece to References Iited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Kuhlemann; n Feb.. '15,. 1938.

Cunningham. Jan; 22,1946; Fausz May 6, 1947 

